Rapper defends his lifestyle during appearance on "Kris" with baby mama's mama

Kanye West was the guest of honor on his baby mama's mama's daytime talk show, "Kris," on Friday — its season finale.

In the TV interview — his first in three years — West became quite animated discussing President Obama's recent remarks about the level of attention society pays to West and Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner's daughter.

"So Obama basically said we're the new American dream," West said. "I think he was posing it like I was supposed to take it in a negative way, but I'm just so happy that the president mentions me so often. Thank you very much, Obama!"

West was referring to the president's words in a recent Amazon Kindle Singles interview, where Obama said, "There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous."

In it, the president waxed nostalgic for earlier generations, noting, "Kids weren't monitoring every day what Kim Kardashian was wearing, or where Kanye West was going on vacation, and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success."

West retorted, "I do think people should want to go on vacation or travel, because that's what opens people's minds. When I was in 5th grade, we went to China and I lived there for a year and I could speak Chinese," he said. "Also because my dad lived in an area that was mostly white and my mom stayed in Chicago in an area that's mostly black and has gang activity, I had to navigate all these worlds."

He went on to suggest that there "will be new people getting passports and wanting to travel," because of him and Kardashian. "They'll hear songs like 'N—-s in Paris' and they'll be like, 'I want to be a n—a in Paris!'"

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